During the manufacture of most components and, in particular, precision components, it is important that the dimensions and angular relationships of surfaces of the components be measured in order to assure accuracy and provide confidence that the product is being manufactured within the allowable dimensional tolerances. In most manufacturing installations, component inspection to assure that the component is properly manufactured within the allowable tolerances requires highly experienced personnel, as well as expensive and sophisticated equipment.
Typically, components are completely manufactured and then sent to a special inspection station where angular relationships and dimensions for the component are measured to assure that the component complies with the drawing requirements. This procedure is both laborious and expensive, due to the level of sophistication required by the individual making the measurements, as well as due to the expensive nature of the equipment required by the inspector.
In order to improve the speed and efficiency of the individuals charged with the duty of inspecting the manufacturing tolerances of component parts, various gauges have been developed. However, these gauges all require a high level of sophistication in order to assure their proper use and accurate employment.
One of the typical problems encountered with prior art gauge assemblies is the requirement that the individual employing the gauge must develop a unique skill in holding the gauge relative to the component being measured in order to obtain an accurate measurement thereof. Since the measurements being made for most sophisticated components require extreme precision, the particular orientation or measurement technique employed by the user is of particular importance.
If a gauge is not held in precisely the correct manner relative to the manufactured component, inaccurate readings will be obtained. Consequently, the undesirable expense of requiring highly skilled and trained individuals has become a necessity in order to assure that the sophisticated manufactured component parts are all within the required specifications.
In addition, in measuring the angular relationships between adjacent surfaces in order to assure that the surfaces have been formed in the precisely desired orientation and configuration, the prior art gauges are capable of only providing information on whether the precisely desired surface orientation has been attained. However, these prior art gauges are incapable of providing a precise read-out of the deviation that particular component may have from the desired position.
In particular, in one frequently observed condition, components are manufactured with surfaces that must be maintained perpendicular relative to its adjacent surface. In order to measure the perpendicularity of one surface to another, the skilled, trained inspector would employ a squareness gauge on a precision ground measuring table in order to establish whether the desired manufactured surface has been constructed perpendicular to the surface placed on the measuring table. However, in providing this structural inspection, the resulting information is capable of only informing the inspector whether the surface being measured is, or is not, precisely perpendicular to the reference surface. However, the squareness gauge employed is incapable of providing the inspector with any detailed information concerning the precise measurement of deviation or variation from perpendicularity.
Therefore, it is a principal object of the present invention to provide a precision gauge assembly capable of measuring the squareness of an object, while also providing a precision metered reading of the deviation the surface possesses from the desired goal.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a precision gauge assembly having the characteristic features described above which is capable of measuring any angular relationship between surfaces while providing a metered reading for any deviation from the desired reading.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a precision gauge assembly having the characteristic features described above which is capable of measuring tolerances within plus or minus 0.0001 inches, as well as being capable of defining an error and providing deviation readings to plus or minus 0.0001 inches.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a precision gauge assembly having the characteristic features described above which enables measurements to be made more rapidly, more efficiently, and more accurately than presently attainable using existing systems.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a precision gauge assembly having the characteristic features described above which is capable of being employed by individuals with little or no training, thereby enabling all individuals to obtain precision measurements of manufactured components.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a precision gauge assembly having the characteristic features described above in which a plurality of alternately shaped measuring blades can be quickly and easily mounted thereto, enabling any desired angular relationships to be measured with precision and accuracy.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a precision gauge assembly having the characteristic features described above which is capable of being quickly and easily checked for accuracy, in order to assure continuous, trouble-free, accurate component measurements.
Other and more specific objects will in part be obvious and will in part appear hereinafter.